Faster than the Beat of my Heart
by Smalker13
Summary: This is set during episodes 1x06 and 1x07. Iris finds out Barry's identity while at their old elementary school, and in the next episode, the moment Barry felt a surge of his power come back, he rushes to the precinct, saving Iris, Joe, and Eddie along with the others. Written from Iris' perspective. One-shot, WestAllen.


**Disclaimer: I don't own the Flash.**

 **Summary: What if Iris found out Barry's identity while he was fighting and defending her from his childhood bully at their old elementary school? And what if, in the next episode, the moment Barry felt a surge of his power come back, he had rushed to the precinct to help Iris, Joe, and Eddie before coming back to S.T.A.R Labs to stop Farooq from killing Dr. Wells?  
**

When he had left, there one moment and gone the next, she hadn't known what to think. She was terrified, of course, and well aware that she was shaking uncontrollably in fear of Tony, but strangely disappointed as well – she had expected more from the Streak. So, when the sonic boom had ricocheted off from the side of Tony's face, blasting her eardrums, she hadn't been too surprised.

But then he was down on the ground, and a second later, she had seen his eyes, and a blast of déjà vu had struck her. He'd come to visit her before, of course, but she'd never actually seen his eyes – he'd always been careful to stay where there was a beam of light blocking his face, or in the shadows, despite the fact that he was already wearing a mask and throwing his voice. And if they were any closer, he'd always done the my-face-is-turning-at-1000-miles-per-second-so-you-can't-see-it thing. She'd been sure he wasn't anyone she knew; yet those light cerulean blue eyes were so familiar. They'd awakened a feeling of protectiveness inside of her, and that random burst of seeing everything happening as if in slow-motion had been the only reason she'd managed to get a punch at the guy before he could beat the snot out of the Streak once again.

When he had spoken, afterwards, he'd been in the shadows, once again keeping himself hidden, so she hadn't gotten a chance to figure out who he was. He had apologized for not being able to take her to the hospital, explained that he needed to get Tony under lock and key, that he only had enough strength left for one trip, and that the police were on their way. She had nodded, naturally, and then he was gone.

During the two or so minutes it took for the first police car to arrive – no doubt her dad and Barry, she thought with a wince, had figured it out from the fire alarm – she considered if any of the people she knew could be him. Her dad, she crossed out almost immediately, knowing that he was too old, not able to do anything odd with his voice, and at the precinct or looking after her and Barry too often to be a superhero. Also, from what she had seen of the Streak, he seemed to get injured a ton, and she saw her dad often enough to know that this wasn't the case. Eddie, her second guess, she crossed out just as quickly. Not only was he spending just about every moment with either her or her dad, but hadn't he also called her while she was talking to the Streak, who didn't once pull out a phone? Her next guess was Barry, but then she felt a pang in her heart, remembering his words of, "Maybe we shouldn't see each other for a while," and she resolved to not think about him too much, just as the first car approached the front of the school, interrupting her line of thought.

She had gone back to the shop, tidying up and hoping the Streak would stop by again, when the door had opened, and none other than Barry had come in. She hadn't noticed, then. Hadn't been aware that he possessed the exact same shade of light cerulean blue eyes, not when she was so overjoyed by the fact that he was there, speaking to her, that he wasn't angry about the blog any longer, that he had even come up with a new, better name, for the Streak: the Flash.

But now, sitting bolt up right in her bed, randomly awakened at 2:38 in the morning by the sudden revelation, she had put two and two together. Her best friend, the one she'd known since she was in kindergarten, was also the Flash, the super hero protecting Central City whom she was falling madly in love with.

She tried to deny it, making up facts, saying to herself that he was her best friend, that he would have told her, but she couldn't quite convince herself that she was wrong. Barry had been pushing her away, bit-by-bit, acting weird ever since he'd woken up from his coma. That day at the bank, he'd been the only one who hadn't stayed in the room in between the seconds it took for the criminals to run away and the police to burst inside. He'd been hit by a bolt of lightning, and had woken up about a month ago, and voila, there was the Flash, with a lightning bolt sewn on the front of his suit to top it all off. Honestly, she was surprised she hadn't seen it before.

The only thing she didn't understand was why he hadn't told her. Didn't he trust her? Was someone forcing him to keep it a secret? Did anyone else know? Was there someone treating him every time he got injured? Was he okay? Her head was buzzing with questions, and she was getting angrier and more worried about him by the minute. She resolved to march into his lab and demand an answer tomorrow, choosing to let sleep reclaim her rather than bursting into his room and waking him up at that very moment.

When she arrives, she doesn't expect to find Barry and her dad talking about the exact reason she's here. She catches the first part of their conversation, and while she makes note of the fact that Barry's lost his powers, all she can really think is: All this time, and Dad knew? It makes her angry that she's not worth her friend's trust, at first. However, after she goes in and interrupts them, and Barry just about tells her what's going on until her dad makes a decent excuse for him to stop his blabbering, she realizes that it's really her dad who doesn't want her to know, not Barry. She knows how much Barry looks up to her dad, and she finds her previous anger quickly dissipating once she understands that it's not about her incompetence as a friend. Some of her anger, she transfers to her dad, - thought she doesn't let on that she knows, not yet - because he should know by now that he can't protect her forever.

When the lights go out, and the crazy gunman appears, she expects him to be there. Whisking people away, fighting the bad guys. Without realizing it, she whispers to the air, "Barry? Flash?" but gains no reply. For a second, she's utterly confused as she sees her dad's head snap around with his eyes wide open in shock, though there's a silent understanding between them that this is neither the time, nor the place to discuss such things. And then she realizes what 'lost my power' and his broken red mug mean, and she hides behind her dad as he drops his gun and puts his hands up, aware that, this time, her hero might not be coming.

After Eddie's shot, she calls for him again with false bravado, because she needs him to come. Needs to stop seeing people get hurt in front of her very eyes. Just as she's given up hope, said goodbye to Eddie, to her dad, but not to Barry, as the mad clock guy drags her up to the top of the stairs, he comes.

She's gotten the gun away, just like Eddie told her too, but he hasn't let go of her yet. She's about to shoot him and look away, because she has to save everyone down stairs, no matter the cost to herself. And then he appears, throwing a few well-aimed punches, releasing her from the guy's grip and sending him tumbling down the stairs, preventing her from the dreadful task of killing another human.

The next thing she knows, she's standing outside, next to her dad and an ambulance with Eddie already in it. Barry's next to her as well, his normal clothes on, his shoes smoking, gasping for breath, his left arm held out at an abnormal angle and his sweater singed through at the shoulder. But then he's gone again, quick as he came, leaving her alone with her dad, an unconscious Eddie, and the paramedics.

Once they get to the hospital, once they know that Eddie really will be okay, her dad drags her out to the otherwise empty waiting room. She doesn't try to stop him.

His eyes are wide with fear, though a different kind of fear from earlier, as he says, "You knew about Barry?

She nods, "He's the Flash."

She can see his shoulders sag at the confirmation, but he goes on, and she understands that he wants to get this all out in the air now, rather than revealing some things later. "Did he tell you?" There's a hint of anger mixed in his voice, like he's angry with Barry for letting her find out.

At this she purses her lips and shakes her head slightly, her voice coming out colder than she means it to be. "No, Dad. I figured it out myself. Saw his eyes while he was on his way to getting knocked out by Tony. It's not his fault; he doesn't even know I know. And I may be your little girl, but I don't need you protecting me every step of the way. He's my best friend in the world, Dad, do you really think I'm that blind?"

She sees shoulders droop further, and she feels bad; she really didn't mean to explode, but she needed him to hear that, to know that she can do things standing on her own two feet.

He sighs, "No, I don't think that. Look, I'm sorry, baby, I just didn't want to lose you. I thought you'd be safer if you didn't know, but I'll try not to run any more interference in your life. Just please be careful."

She nods and hugs him, grateful not only that he'll finally give her some freedom, but also for the fact that he's alive.

Just as they release each other, she sees Barry running – normally – into the room. Gone are the smoking shoes and singed sweater. Instead, he's wearing an undamaged plaid-shirt, his regular shoes, and both his arms look as if they're working normally. Perhaps being the Flash comes with healing powers? She envelops him in a hug the moment he enters. She's so glad to see him normal, not bleeding to death somewhere as she'd imagined after seeing his state at the precinct, that she's forgotten to be angry with him for not telling her, or for being late, or for almost getting himself killed. That is, until he flinches back when his left arm brushes against her shoulder as they're breaking the hug.

The next thing anyone knows, she's slapped him across the face, emotions are exploding out of her, and her tears are re-surfacing.

"You're an idiot, Barry Allen! Don't you know better than to try to interfere with a hostage situation? Or fight with your childhood bully who's also a metal man? You're hurt! You could have died rescuing people from burning buildings and car accidents! And don't you dare lie to me again, because I'm not your best friend for nothing! Barry, you could have died!" by now, tears are streaming down her face uncontrollably, as she pictures a gazillion of worst-case scenarios that could have happened, "You said you couldn't bear if something happened to me, Barry, don't you think for a second that the same doesn't go for you, because it does! I'll stop putting myself in unnecessary danger, " so maybe putting her name for all the world to see wasn't such a great idea, "and you've got to stop risking your life to help me along with everyone else every time they're in trouble! Your life matters, Barry!"

And then she's hugging him again, and she knows that even though they've still got stuff to work out, as long as he's here, safe, she'll be okay.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, and I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Iris. But I can't stop being the Flash. With my speed, I can help people! There are people alive today because of me, people who would've been dead otherwise. And I have to keep doing it for the people in this city, for your dad, for Eddie, for you."

His eyes are pleading, and he's voicing exactly what made her interested in the Flash in the first place. And she can tell that it's important to him, just as important if not more, as the blog was before she found out the truth. So she sighs and nods, agreeing not to try to stop him. "No more secrets?"

She sees him hesitate, can tell that he's still got something he hasn't told her, but he nods his assent anyway. "No more secrets."

"What aren't you telling me?"

"Iris-"

"I know that look, Barry, fess up."

He sighs.

"You've got your powers back for good, right? They're not going to disappear again?"

He gives her a look that says, 'You knew about that?' then shakes his head in confirmation that they won't.

"Then spit it out."

He looks at her dad for help, and she turns on him too, feeling disappointed. "You know about this, too?"

He has the audacity to be smiling. "This one's Barry's secret to tell, not mine."

"'The Flash' was Barry's secret to tell."

That wipes the smile off his face for a second, but it reappears rather quickly. "Yes, but this – this he chose to keep hidden of his own will." And then he walks out, leaving the two of them alone.

"Well?"

When Barry finally replies, he refuses to meet her eyes. "I think I'm in love with you."

What?

"It feels like I have been since… forever. I was working up the courage to tell you, but then I got struck by lightning and you already had a boyfriend. I know that you love Eddie, which is why I never said anything. I didn't want to cause you two to break up, and I didn't want to lose my friendship with you, either."

For the second time that day, she slaps him for being an idiot, unaware what she's doing until after she's done it. And then she starts laughing. Exasperated, shaky laughter that she can't control. She understands now why her dad looked like he was witnessing the funniest thing in the entire world. Because she had thought he was the one who didn't return her feelings. Had only recently been able to convince herself that she didn't have any feelings outside of sisterly love for him. Because she had told Eddie, after they'd dated each other for about a month, that she still had a crush on Barry, and probably always would. And what was more, when he'd woken up, that had been when she'd told Eddie that she was completely devoted to him, completely sure that Barry didn't return her affections.

Maybe she and Barry were much better at lying to each other than they had thought.

He's looking at her like she's insane, probably because she is. She's sorry she's screwed up with Eddie, but she hopes he'll understand, because she loves Barry, she's pretty sure she always has, and for the first time, she realizes that he actually loves her back – something she can't offer to Eddie, no matter how much he deserves it.

The laughing fit stops, and she just keeps on looking at him and shaking her head back and forth, still finding it hard to believe. "We're such idiots."

He looks utterly confused, and she can't help but smile at his adorable expression.

"I was never not in love with you, Barry."

For a while, he just stands there, looking at her, not saying a word, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. "But, Eddie…"

She gives a sad smile and a tiny shake of her head. "He knew I loved you from when we started dating. But he was falling in love with me, and it was clear – well, I thought it was obvious, though clearly that wasn't the case – that you had no such feelings for me, so I tried my best to love him."

"But… So… I… Then… If…" And then he's the one laughing hysterically, at a loss for words to say, eventually agreeing with her previous comment. "We really are complete idiots."

And in a flash his lips are on hers, and she thinks it's the best feeling in the whole world.


End file.
